


The aftereffect

by Catharina2003



Series: When the Endgame comes, some scenes are forgotten [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Discontent with canon, F/M, Natasha Romanov Lives, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Tony Stark Lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2020-01-31 09:14:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18588241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Catharina2003/pseuds/Catharina2003
Summary: See here: Endgame spoilers. (I have to mark them at this point because in some countries the movie isn't even out yet.)I'm not content with what the movie implied, so I decided that something else could happen. (We didn't get end credit scenes, so I'm pissed.)





	The aftereffect

**Author's Note:**

> Please don't read this if you haven't seen Endgame.

‘Tony.’ Pepper said. Tears rolling over her cheeks. ‘No.’

‘I was really hoping to pull off one last surprise.’ He dusted, following Thanos’ army

Behind her, Pepper was partially aware of the teenage boy behind her, fighting in Rodhey’s arms before slumping down, realizing it had no use. 

Tony Stark was the strongest man Pepper had ever known. He couldn’t be dead. She wouldn’t allow him to be.    
  


The next days went by in a blur. A burial was given to Tony and Pepper just couldn’t find the will to continue. Everyone came, all the teammates Tony had ever worked with, except for Natasha. A lot happened and Pepper just couldn’t find it in her to even cry. If not for Morgan, Pepper had no idea what to do with herself. 

Luckily Rodhey and Happy were there, both helping Pepper to go on and taking over some of Tony’s jobs around the house. 

 

Pepper sighed. She didn’t really know what to do. Even this house had been Tony’s idea, built for the two of them and Morgan. 

It just wasn’t fair. Tony, of all the Avengers, had the least reason to fight. If not for Peter he wouldn’t have had any reason at all. But of all people, he was the one who lost the most. Nearly no-one had died in the battle, no casualties among their side, aside from Tony. 

The only other person to die had been Natasha. Pepper didn’t quite know how to feel about that. Natasha had both been a friend of sorts, but she’d also been someone that Pepper was wary of. How could you trust someone who would stab you in the back if it suited her? But still, Pepper had known her for years and in the past five years, it had been Natasha who’d kept Pepper updated. 

Pepper had always known that it just wasn’t Tony to stay out of the battle and she’d known he wouldn’t be able to live with the consequences of not helping the team to get everyone back.

So she’d told him to go, encouraged him to, and practically sent him to his death. 

 

‘Mom? Can you tell me a bedtime story?’ Morgan walked into the room.

‘Morgan, shouldn’t you be sleeping, baby girl?’

‘I couldn’t sleep, I missed dad.’

‘I know sweetheart, I know. Did you know that your father has been declared dead many times over his life?’

‘No.’

‘Well he has been. Your father is the bravest man I’ve ever known and he’s still looking out for us. I know that.’

‘Really?’

‘Really.’

* * *

Steve Rogers was almost done with his task, return all the stones to their respective places.

The only one left was the soul stone. The one that Natasha had died to retrieve. 

Of all the stones, it was the hardest one to return, not because of any danger, like the rest had been in, but because someone had died to get it and now it would seem like that had been worthless. 

Even if it hadn’t been.

Tony had still died.

 

Steve climbed the mountain and saw the person who was supposed to guide him to it.

‘You! No! That can’t be possible, you died!’

‘I did not, well, not entirely at least. I was banished here, guiding others to the treasure I always wanted to possess.’

‘Just guide me to there.’ The faster he had finished this, the faster he could go home. 

The Red Skull lead Steve to an abyss. Steve had to admit, the place was beautiful, even if it was stained with the memory of Natasha dying.

In front of the abyss was a rock and on it was a familiar figure.

 

It couldn’t be. 

How?

This shouldn’t be possible.

‘Tony?’

 

The figure turned around. ‘Hi, Steve.’

‘What are you doing here?’

‘I didn’t die, not really. I just realised that I could never have peace for as long as I was alive. Fury and Coulson had the right idea. People leave you alone if they think you’re dead.’ Tony smiled bitterly. ‘Honestly. I wouldn’t have minded being left alone.’

‘So you came here so you could stay here forever?’

‘No, of course not. I was just waiting for someone to return the stone.’

‘Why?’

‘Because the trade was ‘A soul for a soul.’ You’re returning the soul, don’t you think you should get a soul back?’

It took Steve a second before he understood. ‘Natasha.’

Tony nodded. ‘I have two doses of Pym Particle in my suit, that’s enough for the two of us. Give Nat’s hers.’

‘You don’t worry about me telling anyone?’ Steve asked.

Tony smiled sadly. ‘Steve, I think we both know that your final destination won’t be in our time.’

Steve nodded. Tony was right, Bucky had adapted to the modern times but Steve never had been able to. 

Tony disappeared.

He looked away from where Tony had been standing, now to the beautiful landscape behind the abyss. 

A soul for a soul. Natasha. Steve threw the soul stone back into the abyss.

 

Next to the rock, a woman materialised. 

‘Steve?’

‘Nat.’ Steve said. 

‘How?’

‘A soul for a soul, we succeeded.’ Steve said.

‘You look like something happened.’

‘It did. Thanos figured us out. He came from the past, a battle happened.’ Steve sighed. He would tell this lie. He owed it to Tony. ‘Tony died.’

‘But the rest of the universe?’ Nat said, voice trembling.

‘They came back.’

‘So Tony didn’t die for nothing.’ Natasha said.

‘Indeed, I have one bottle of Pym Particle for you, here. Use it to return, visit Clint, go live a life.’ Steve said, chest heavy.

‘Why do you sound like we won’t see each other again?’ Nat asked. Demanded to hear.

‘Because we won’t. I can travel through time. Back to 1946.’

Natasha nodded, understanding. ‘You never fit in, in our time. No matter what you tried. You always missed it. You always missed Peggy.’

‘Yes.’

‘In that case.’ Natasha said. Tears rolling over her cheeks. ‘Goodbye, Steve Rogers, the man who somehow became one of my best friends.’ 

Natasha pulled Steve in for a hug before they both left to the places their hearts desired.

* * *

Tony saw Pepper and Morgan on the terrain. When returning he’d made certain to land on the roof and he saw that many people were still there. He’d had to hide for a while, but now everyone, even Rodhey and Happy, had left. The latter two after having been threatened by Pepper of course.

But now they were alone. Tony flew towards them. 

‘Tony?’ Pepper’s voice said. Unbelieving.

‘I told you I would pull off one last surprise.’

‘Daddy!’ Morgans voice screamed before she jumped into his arms.

‘Hi, baby girl.’

‘Tony, you are unbelievable.’

‘Is that really a surprise?’

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like this.  
> I might write more similar stories because goddamn it. I'm pissed.


End file.
